Human Resource Development as We Know It

Book excerpt: The field of Human Resource Development has developed largely through academics, scholars and reflective practitioners from across the world coming together. Many people link memorable keynote speeches to changes in their research, practice, career path or even life view. Good keynote speeches are a forthright statement of the expert’s view and thus are often not published. Now that HRD is maturing there is a need to recapture some of those earlier moments – both as a form of archive, and also to shed light on the path that has been followed. Twenty-two speeches seminal to the field of HRD are included in this volume. These speeches are milestones along the path of the development of the field; as well as reconstructing their speech, the contributors have also located it within the time it was given and commented on how the field has developed since. This book is a resource, not only as an archive and for those who wish to relive their pivotal moments, but also for anyone interested in the development of HRD as a discipline. This unique approach provides an exciting and engaging way to reflect on cutting edge issues in the academic and practitioner world of HRD!